“Haith on Oriakhi as defender/rebounder: ‘All the time we tell guys, ‘Just do you.’ … He didn’t go out there and jack up a bunch of shots.’ … Haith was clearly choosing words carefully on Pressey. I thought his comments on Oriakhi were more telling of what maybe held back Pressey.”Dave Matter, @Dave_Matter, after Oriakhi was drafted by Phoenix with the 57th pick and Pressey went undrafted, TwitterGH: Pressey has now signed with the Celtics as a free agent. Is that enough of a reason to give up a free college degree and another year of being pampered as a college basketball star at Missouri? I guess it is for Flip and his family. I just never understood their eagerness to leave a good thing. And call what Haith and the Presseys had at Mizzou what you will – but they will have a difficult time duplicating the comfortable environment the Tigers offered them for his three years there. Work is hard. College life is far more fun.

“No school (laugh). No study hall. You just get to do what you love, and that’s play basketball. It’s a fun experience; I’m not going to lie.”Phil Pressey, when asked by Terez Paylor what was the best thing about going through the pre-draft process, KansasCity.comGH: If Pressey was dreading study halls at Mizzou, maybe that is an indication he didn’t understand that he might want to have an alternative plan to a career in the NBA. Flip is a great role model for every young baller out there who thinks the NBA is a given for them. It ain’t. Use the system to your advantage. Get your free degree and then maybe you get lucky. Maybe.

“I’m curious to know what kind of success Kansas fans think Ben McLemore is going to have in the (NBA).”Soren Petro, after the KU shooting guard went seventh overall to Sacramento, 810 AMGH: LeBron James thinks McLemore is going to have a great career in the NBA. King James was paying attention during the draft and tweeted out while Ben was still waiting in the Green Room…

“They sleeping on Ben McLemore. Just watch.”LeBron James, Twitter

“I love Jeff Withey going to Portland because I think they are a really good organization.”Soren Petro, 810 AMGH: The Kansas shot-blocking machine when 39th to Portland – not in the top 20 like some experts were predicting. But I don’t think Withey’s draft order will matter to his NBA career. He has 10-year sub written all over his wingspan.

“I would like to call (Bill Simmons) an idiot but I’m too classy for that.”Doc Rivers, the former Celtics head coach, after he was told the Grantland.com columnist said he quit on the Celtics by taking the trade to the Clippers, ESPNGH: Doc didn’t sound all that classy to me with this retort. Rivers is a good head coach but he’s out of his league attempting to have a war of words with a wordsmith like Simmons. I would advise Doc to back away from the camera and wave.

“When he sticks to the story I’ll believe the truth. … Just own it.”Bill Simmons, responding to Rivers’ comment, ESPN

“I love what (Bill Simmons) is doing on Grantland(.com) but I can do without him on TV. He does nothing for me there.”Josh Vernier, 810 AMGH: I think Simmons is a brilliant writer. As an NBA analyst on television…he makes a great writer. His voice alone is enough to get me to change the channel. After many, many years I have finally come to accept the geeky John Clayton – despite his voice and wimpy appearance. Simmons offers much of the same physical limitations on camera. All the more reason to keep some writers wring and not on camera.

“At 1 am last night, there wasn’t one headline among the top 4 most read on ESPN.com that involved the NBA Draft.”Darren Rovell, @darrenrovell, TwitterGH: The NBA draft is interesting for about 10 picks – and then it becomes a localized event for a few college fans who care about “their” guy. So few of these picks ever make an NBA game it’s just not comparable to the NFL draft. Although watching David Stern revel in being bathed in boos al night was highly entertaining.

“All-time #CWS record crowd of 341,483 this year. Tonight’s crowd of 27,127 is the largest in three years at TD Ameritrade Park.”Mitch Sherman, @mitchsgerman, for the final-game crowd in Omaha to watch UCLA and Mississippi State, TwitterGH: The Royals will draw about 1.6 million for their 81 home dates this season. The CWS drew over 21% of that gate in a little over a week – in Omaha. There are plenty of baseball fans here in Royals’ country. They just need a reason to show up.

“Last night (in the 3-1 loss to the Twins) was typical of what we are going to see from this (Royals’) team offensively three or four times a week. … If they really thought they had a chance to contend they would have made some moves and they haven’t done it. I don’t think they really see this team as a contending team right now.”Brian McRae, 810 AMGH: McRae is one of my favorite Royals’ analysts. He speaks bluntly and realistically about his former team. McRae is the opposite of Joel Goldberg – who says almost nothing of value and takes forever to say it.

“You can tell the guys are all working hard.”Nate Bukaty, when asked for his assessment of what he sees from the Royals when he covers them during their homestands, 810 AMGH: This is not necessarily a good thing. If the Royals’ players are putting in the work and still scoring runs at a putrid rate and running the bases like blind men – something is very wrong with the talent level of this team. And how hard are Billy Butler and Mike Moustakas working to be in their 20s and look like softball players?

“Billy Butler is one of the biggest case studies that needs to be examined – because he has got to hit! Somehow we are giving Billy Butler a free pass. It is one of the biggest problems this team has. Are they pitching around Billy Butler? Yes, but that’s part of the game! The reality is this – he absolutely has to hit better.”Soren Petro, 810 AMGH: One of the biggest free rides Butler has received from the media is from Kevin Kietzman. KK, who has referred to Butler as a friend, seems to constantly overlook Butler’s stats in favor of ripping Alex Gordon. Who do you think deserves more criticism?

“I think that’s going to be a really frustrating day – when the Royals trade Ervin Santana. I think that’s going to be a signal that this season is over. I couldn’t bring myself to do it if I was Dayton Moore.”Danny Parkins, 810 AMGH: I disagree. This Royals team is going nowhere this season unless Butler, Moose, Hosmer, Cain and Ned Yost do a 180 over the next month and carry that through September. I don’t see that happening. Moore should shop Santana now while he is at his most attractive and see if the next Wil Myers is out there somewhere.

“I wish I could know Clark (Hunt) like I knew his dad.”Neil Smith, discussing how much he respected Lamar Hunt and how personally involved Lamar was with his players, 610 AMGH: I enjoyed Neil Smith’s extended appearance on The Drive Thursday with Jayice Pearson, Danny Parkins and Carrington Harrison – and not for the usual reasons I enjoy listening to Neil. He was articulate, insightful and spoke with passion. Read on.

“I’ll tell you what man, (Norma Hunt) is the backbone of that family and she knows it. Any player who has ever encountered her will say the say the same thing.”Neil Smith, 810 AMGH: Interesting. We know so little about Mom Hunt. I wonder if she would do a radio interview? Seems like someone at 610 or 810 should check that out.

“I still hold my two (Chiefs season) tickets. My kids go. And every blue moon I slide in there to see a game.”Neil Smith, who said he prefers to watch the Chiefs game on television rather than at Arrowhead, 610 AMGH: Neil made a point of how much he enjoyed mixing with the former Chiefs’ players when he was playing for Marty Schottenheimer. He talked about how they’d meet for pizza and beer once a week. Those close ties with the current players were severed under Scott Pioli and Smith would like to see them repaired. I hope John Dorsey and Andy Reid agree.

“We can definitely find something for you to do during football season.”Carrington Harrison, when Neil Smith expressed an interest in doing some radio, 610 AMGH: The Bill Maas and Neil Smith Show. Done.

“I’m never NOT working on material. Ever. I’m always thinking, ‘Could I do something with that?’ I’m looking for material all the time. … Making jokes is not work. It’s a gift.”Jerry Seinfeld, in an interview with Howard Stern this week on Sirius XM

“Howard, what else do I have to do?”Jerry Seinfeld, when asked by Stern how he manages to remember all of his stand-up jokes and routines, Howard Stern ShowGH: Seinfeld was a great contrast to Stern’s paranoid persona. Where Howard see everything as a hassle and his life as drudgery, Seinfeld laughed off almost every query that was meant to dig into his psyche. I think Jerry is a lot like the guy we got to know who hung around with George, Elaine and Kramer. Just a lot richer.

“I know that if you’re a comedian and you’re playing golf you’re going nowhere in this business.”Jerry Seinfeld, Howard Stern ShowGH: Golf. Love the game, hate the time it takes to play it and be good at it. Marathon training has replaced my golf game for the most part. While training to run marathons is time consuming, it is nothing compared to playing two rounds of golf a week. Love the game, hate the waiting.

“Being a stand-up comedian is brutal…but your blessing in life is when you find the torture that you’re comfortable with. Find the torture you’re comfortable with and you’ll do well.”Jerry Seinfeld, Howard Stern Show

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About Greg Hall

Software guy who has been writing my Off The Couch column in KC newspapers, publications and websites since 1994. Has been bounced from some of the finest media establishments this side of State Line Road. Dad first and everything else second...and there are a lot of everything elses.

If you love golf and don’t play at least once a week because you think you don’t have 5 hours to spare………you need to look at your priorities. Sorry, life is damn short. Too short. I play 3 times a week and have a 50+ hour/week job. Make time. The rest of life stops for those 5 hours on the course. It’s an investment in my sanity.

I think Simmons is a pretty fantastic commentator on the NBA. He knows the game inside and out, in present-day and historical context, as good as any writer or analyst out there, and he’s typically not afraid to have a strong opinion. The only reason I don’t like him on TV, or being editor of Grantland, is that I miss the days of two columns from him a week. I’m happy he’s become so successful but I miss that. I’m not even that big a NBA fan, but I’ve read His Book of Basketball twice and it’s close to 1,000 pages long. Fantastic read if you love the history of the NBA at all, which I do much more than I like the present game.

The fact that Charlotte passed on McLemore just shocked me. Either MJ and his management team are idiots…or MJ talked to Ben extensively, watched the tape and doesn’t think the kid has the stones to be a star. If anybody is going to pass on Ben for being too passive and nice, it’s the GOAT. Sacramento will give him a chance to play on a team with no expectations, but there are some problem children on that team. Hope he can stay above that and become the star KU fans all hope he can be.

I suppose Phildo could always go back to to dear ol MU and finish his degree but I suspect he’ll end up chasing the NBA (presuming he doesn’t make the Celts roster) until he’s 40.

I gotta agree with GH’s comments though, why not use the system and get the degree unless you’re a sure fire Top 10? Worst case scenario, you can go into sales in the University’s state and make a living off of telling prospects old ball stories and closing sales to boot.

Flip? Flop! Better get used to a life of Washington’s and Lincoln’s and not Franklin’s. Maybe instead of sneaker deal he can get a flip flop deal.

Ben really needs to get his shit together or he’s out of the NBA in 5 years. He’s on a team where at best he’ll be spporting actor and not a star. Unless Lebron is going to personally mentor him he’s gonna have a rough go in The League. To go from Diaper Dandy, to potential #1 overall to a 7 to Sacramento…..OUCH.

I’m thinking that Neil Smith didn’t really KNOW Clark Hunt. A good interviewer would have asked him to elaborate on that. I would bet over the span of his career in KC Neil spent less than two hours, alone, one on one, with Lamar.

Better luck running into Norma Hunt dildo shopping at Cirilla’s than getting her to sit with any of the fools at 610 or 810. Why not just ask her to pose for an AARP centerfold too if you want to demean her.

Never understood the whole Seinfeld thing. It was lame observational comedy at best. If comedy was music, Seinfeld is Barry Manilow. I prefer my comedy along the lines of Jeff Ross and Iron Maiden.

Nate Bukaty wouldn’t know hard work if it crawled up his ass and died.

“And how hard are Billy Butler and Mike Moustakas working to be in their 20s and look like softball players? ”

I say all the time that if Billy Butler wasn’t such a fat f*ck he’d be a hell of a baseball player. If you’re going to be that damn fat you need to be hitting at least 35 dongs a year and we know he doesn’t do that, except quite possibly in the shower.

Yeah, it’s a real shame these athletes are to Kool for Skool. If nothing else, the comedic aspect of Aaron Hernandez submitting a doctoral dissertation on Molecular Genetics would have been a good read.

“Yeah, I be specializin in “Population Genetics”. If you flunk me, the population goes down. Peace.”

Some years ago, I was listening to 810 and Drew Gooden was quoted as saying, “I have experienced a lot of diversity.” I feel your pain brutha, Recently Mr. Gooden’s accomplishments run to the more mundane, yet still entertaining.

“At the beginning of the 2006–07 season, Gooden appeared with a patch of hair on the back of his head. He refers to this hair style as a “duck tail.”Gooden said, “It is drawing a lot of attention…One thing I’ve found out is even negative publicity is good publicity. At least I had the (guts) to do it.” He claims women love it: “I went from getting compliments to now being sexy.”

Here, in the Hadron Collider Control Room,

yhttp://lhcb-public.web.cern.ch/lhcb-public/lhcb_collaboration.jpg

you can sense the dissapointment as scientists watch the NBA draft and scholar after after scholar take the wrong fork in the road.

The recent NBA strike was such a waste imo. Idle time in the Devil’s Workshop. Strip Clubs awash in inclement weather (Makin it Rain Baby!!) while that pesky Cold Fusion problem languishes on David Stern’s desk.